Ocean surface wind data are derived from spatial blending of high-resolution satellite data from tandem SeaWinds missions (QSCAT and ADEOS-II) and global weather center analyses (NCEP), resulting in high temporal and spatial resolution datasets (6-hourly, and 0.5 x 0.5 degree).

This two-scatterometer blending product is only available for the duration of the ADEOS-II mission (4/10-10/24/2003). The blending scheme is a variation of the single-scatterometer blending (QSCAT only, ds744.4): the main difference is a 7.5hr time-window used for blending vs. the sliding 12hr window in the QSCAT only blending.

Available data products are: the blended product ("bln"), which consists of QSCAT and ADEOS-II blended with NCEP analyses; and the low-wavenumber analysis field ("low"), which is the NCEP analyses splined to the 0.5x0.5 degree grid. These fields are available as wind components ("uv" files) or as windstress curl ("curl" files). Details of the method are summarized in Blended_Winds_Summary_doc under DS Documentation, and in Colorado Research's Blended Winds Method Description . Details of the two-scatterometer blending, as well as differences with respect to the single-scatterometer blending (QSCAT only) are described in QSCAT and ADEOS-II / NCEP Blending .

Data file formats and read routines are the same as for QSCAT/NCEP blending (ds744.4).